Living with a… BMW M2 (Month 2)

You might have thought BMW didn’t make cars like the M2 any more. Thankfully for the fans it does, the recipe of a powerful six-cylinder petrol engine driving the rear wheels of a sporty coupe just as attractive as it always was. Just now more powerful, sophisticated and impressive than ever. True, the unapologetically angular styling has, shall we say, divided opinion. But it does a good job of visually representing the driving manners of a car putting a full 460 horsepower to the road and bristling with technology to help you enjoy it, up to and including variable traction control, a scoring system for your drifting talents and more besides. Perhaps slightly at odds with the prevailing winds of electrification, social responsibility and all the rest. But the chance for one last blast of a BMW of this type was too good to turn down!
Skip to: Month 1 – Split personality Month 2 – Slow burner

Dan says: “That awesome engine, fast-shifting automatic gearbox and classic rear-wheel drive BMW balance drown out any doubts about the looks”

Trips taken

A trip from Yorkshire to Somerset combining a long motorway haul followed by a cross-country blast to my destination was a perfect demonstration of the M2’s dual personality, combining as it did relaxed and (relatively) comfortable mile munching followed by a thrilling B-road run with the ‘M’ hot key switching from cruiser to bruiser in the blink of an eye.

We like

That ability to configure those two bright red M buttons to tailor the car to different driving situations effectively means three cars in one, each perfectly honed to the road you happen to find yourself on. And when the going gets twisty that awesome engine, fast-shifting automatic gearbox and classic rear-wheel drive BMW balance drown out any doubts about the looks.

We're not so keen on

The previous M2 felt gym fit and compact, making it perfect for back roads. Although still shorter than its M4 big brother with which it shares its engine it’s just as wide and nearly as heavy, so it feels like it’s taking up a lot of its lane and a bit of a lump on the kind of roads where it should really be in its element. It may be less powerful but we’d probably feel more confident in M240i on which it is based.

Niggles

Rory asked in a recent video if the M2 is ‘Too damn heavy’, and going by the way it’s ground the paving slabs in my back hard into dust it would seem the answer is ‘absolutely!’ The snatchy throttle and grabby gearbox may be a delight at speed but they also make these slow-speed manoeuvres in tight spaces more stressful than they need to be.

Surprise and delight

No question, that magnificent engine is the absolute star of the show. From its angry snarl on start-up through to the thrilling swell of boost from the turbos as it works through the revs it’s a bittersweet evocation of what may turn out to be peak internal combustion engine thrills. Oh, and I also like the illuminated M flashes on the inside of the doors. Nice touch! Back to top

Dan says: “You have to treat a car putting this much power through its rear wheels with respect when the going is slippery”

Trips taken

Wet roads in this seemingly endless rainy period are not the M2’s comfort zone, and with various other cars to choose from more appropriate to this time of year and boring stuff like running kids to and from clubs it’s had a quiet time of it. At least until a run down the A1 to take it back to Rory, including a rather fun bit of off-piste on the back roads.

We like

There are so many boring cars around it’s a treat to get in one that’s exciting, and maybe even a little bit scary. OK, maybe ‘scary’ is putting it a bit strongly, but you have to treat a car putting this much power through its rear wheels with respect when the going is slippery. If you’re sensible and don’t treat the accelerator like an on/off switch the M2 rewards with incredible balance and a real sense of playfulness.

We're not so keen on

I had a play on the configurator as part of my swotting for my review on the M2 and was disappointed at the rather boring colour selection, especially after seeing an M240i in that stunning ‘Thundernight’ purple the other day. Seems weird BMW offers these funkier paint options for the ‘regular’ 2 Series models but not for the lairy performance flagship.

Niggles

No question – the constant bonging from the speed limit alert, and the fact that disabling it requires going several layers deep into the menus EVERY TIME you start the car up. Others like Mercedes and Tesla have a little shortcut in the corner of the screen but BMW makes it hard, and even then it STILL bongs every time the speed limit changes. Absolutely infuriating.

Surprise and delight

Finally finding the right piece of road to really get my head around what the M2 can do, and enjoying the fact the stability control is ‘loose’ enough to let you play with the balance of the car on the throttle but tactfully gathers things up without having you feel like the rug is being pulled out from under you. It’s just one sign BMW still builds cars for people who enjoy driving. Back to top